


Darling, Don't Be Afraid

by ariquitecontrary (ItsAriyanna)



Series: Wicked Games Series [2]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-12-31 00:37:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12120744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsAriyanna/pseuds/ariquitecontrary
Summary: "You saved me, Betty Cooper, in every single way that someone can save a person."Coda to Wicked Games.





	Darling, Don't Be Afraid

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Ten, who cheers me on and makes my stories that much better. Wicked Games would be nothing without you. <3

Betty looks at her reflection in the full length mirror in front of her; not really recognizing herself at all. She’s modeled wedding dresses before plenty of times. They were one of her most common bookings, especially when spring rolled around, _Wedding Season_ as Cheryl called it. Hell, she’d even walked a fashion show wearing one before, but this feels different. 

This feels _real_. 

She’s standing in a dress that she picked out; a Vera Wang design that makes her feel like a princess. She had broken tradition with this one, most brides-to-be went with their entire bridal party, but the dress picking was a quiet affair. Betty had gone with just Cheryl, who had brought a box of tissues for the heavy tears of joy she cried in the dressing room.

She’s wearing the ring that Jughead bought specifically for her; the simple Tiffany’s diamond sitting on her finger beautifully. It’s _her_ day. It’s really happening. A part of her is terrified, but another part is so happy that she wants to cry. Jughead had cried the night before, holding her like he never had before, as though if he let her go she’d disappear. It was the only thing that let her fall asleep.

“You look beautiful,” her mother says from behind her as she places her hands onto Betty’s shoulders in comfort. “I’m so proud of you.” She wraps her arms around Betty, pressing her cheek to her own with a teary smile. The rest of the sentence goes unsaid, but Betty hears it loud and clear. Her mother isn’t just proud of her for getting married. She’s proud of her for being able to stand here and _get_ married. There have been times, trying times, when Betty didn’t think her and Jughead would make it. The things they’ve seen, the things they’ve been through, they came at a price. 

There were nights were Betty would wake up screaming, nightmares filling her head. Days where she didn’t want to talk to or see anyone at all. She had pushed Jughead away several times. She didn’t mean to and she always felt bad, but some days were harder than others. Jughead was overbearing sometimes, she knew it was out of love but sometimes it was just too much. At first he wouldn’t even let her use the restroom alone. They were a mess and they didn’t know what to do with any of it. They had learned how to cope with it all though. In fact, they were still learning to this day. Maybe they wouldn’t ever stop learning, but as long as she had Jughead by her side, she could probably get through any and all of it. 

“I wish dad were here,” Betty says softly. It’s been two years without him and it never seems to get easier. She had known that he was sick and it was only a matter of time before he’d leave them, but still. It didn’t make it any more easier. There are two people she’d always wanted by her side at her wedding; Veronica and her dad. Neither of them were here physically today, but she believed that they were still by her side. She can see Veronica standing behind her, a blue dress hanging to her as she jokes with Betty, asking if she’s sure she wants to go through with this; promising a quick way out if she changes her mind. She can see her brown eyes bright and shining, a smile so wide and pure that you’d wonder why someone like Veronica would ever even frown. She can picture her father standing at the end of the hall, waiting to walk her down the aisle; a proud smile on his face because he would love Jughead, of course he would. And everything would be perfect. 

“Me too, baby,” her mom says. “He is here. He’s always going to be with you.” 

Betty nods and closes her eyes as she looks up, not wanting to mess up her makeup. Today is a happy day. It’s the happiest day of her life.

There’s a knock on the door and Cheryl peeks her head in. 

“You guys ready?” She asks before pausing and smiling at Betty. “You look beautiful.” 

“You’ve already seen me,” Betty says with an eye roll, but she smiles. 

“Jughead’s going to go crazy when he sees you. He looks so nervous. I think he actually believes you might pull a Night at the Roxbury on him.” 

“Got the boombox?” Betty asks with a smirk. 

“No way!” Her mom laughs. “You and Jughead are getting married today. I won’t stand for this.” Betty and Cheryl laugh, but the redhead winks in her direction. Betty knows that if she had wanted to walk away, Cheryl would support her completely, but she also knows that there’s nowhere else she wants to be right now. The mere idea of walking in the opposite direction of this -- being one step closer to the happily ever after Jughead always joked about, was the last thing she could even imagine.

She’d once thought there was no one in the world for her; but now she knows that that wasn’t true. Jughead was always made for her. She’d been waiting for him this entire time and she’d gladly wait a hundred more lifetimes for him. 

They all walk out of the room together. Cheryl and Alice take their seats together and Betty stands behind the double doors leading inside the church. Her heart aches, wishing her father could be here to walk her down the aisle. It’s not really the same. As excited as she is to marry Jughead, there’s a huge hole in her heart right now and it won’t close no matter how hard she tries. She looks down at her bouquet and flowers and sighs. Just as she’s about to step forward, a throat clears behind her and she turns around in shock. She hadn’t known that anyone else was back here still. 

FP Jones stands in front of her, looking handsome as ever in his black suit. 

FP was… something. Betty had remembered the first time she met him. He was so nervous but invested in everything about her. She could tell that he felt uneasy around her, not knowing how to act towards his son’s girlfriend, but when the initial unease wore off, Betty got to know him and she found herself loving him just as she had her real father. FP was a kind and genuine man. He was a lot like Jughead.

“You look beautiful,” he tells her with a smile. “Jug’s going to be beside himself.” 

Betty smiles back at him. “Thank you.” 

He nods and looks at his feet in embarrassment before glancing back up at her. 

“I know it’s not my place and you can say no if you want, but I love you like my own daughter, Betty. If you’d let me, I’d love to walk you down the aisle today.” 

She tears up at his words and gives him a shaky smile. The request caught her off guard but now that it’s been said aloud, she doesn’t know why she never thought of it in the first place. FP was the closest thing she had to a father and after tonight, he would be her father; by marriage and in her heart. 

“Yes,” she says. “I’d like that.” 

With a gentle smile and an even gentler touch, he links their arms together as he stands by her. 

“You sure you’re ready? He’s my son and I love him to death, but if you want to back out, I’m here for moral support.” He’s smiling at her and Betty knows that he’s joking, but the look in his eyes lets her know that he’s probably just as serious. It means the world to her. 

“I’m ready,” she tells him. “I’ve been ready for a long time.” 

“Okay, let’s do this.” 

The doors open and Betty can see Jughead immediately turn towards her and suddenly she can breathe. The nerves that she’d had disappear completely. This is where she belongs. Jughead was always supposed to be the person at the end of the aisle waiting for her. Walking through the doors and down the aisle is the easiest thing she’s ever had to do. 

She smiles at everyone in the pews. It’s close family and friends only and it’s perfect. Out of the crowd, she sees Archie. He’s sitting next to Cheryl and Reggie, but there’s someone by his side. A girl with curly hair and a bright smile. He had said something about inviting a plus one and Betty smiles at them. Archie had loved Veronica fiercely, but Betty knows that she would have wanted him to move on. Veronica would have wanted Archie to find love and happiness. She would have wanted him to live his life. She doesn’t know if this girl will be the one for him, but he’s smiling as he stands next to her and right now, that’s enough. 

FP kisses her on the cheek as he hands her off to Jughead and Betty knows how much this means not only to him but to his son as well. All he had ever wanted was for Betty to find love and comfort in his family and she had. She had found all of that and more. 

Jughead’s hands are sweaty in hers and she smirks at him, knowing how nervous he is right now. He rolls his eyes at her and Betty wants to laugh. Even now as they’re getting married they’re still able to find that laughter between them that lets her know she’s making the right choice. 

‘You look beautiful’, he mouths to her. 

‘I love you’, she mouths back. 

The priest talks, but Betty doesn’t listen to much of what he’s saying. She’s too busy looking at Jughead and studying his features as if it’s the last time she’ll ever see him. There had been a time, not long ago, when she’d done the exact same thing but with different reasoning. She’d done it before truly believing that it would be the last time she’d ever see him. This time she does it because she doesn’t want to miss out on a single thing. She wants to know every freckle that sits on his cheeks. She wants to know the exact color of his eyes. She wants to be able to draw his face in her head every night before she goes to sleep. 

When it comes time to say their vows, Jughead’s cheeks turn a light shade of pink and Betty smiles. They wrote their own vows and she’s excited to hear what he has to say. 

“When I first met you,” he starts off, voice a bit shaky, “I thought you were the most annoying person I had ever met.” Betty scowls at him and the church erupts into laughter. “You were so loud, so demanding, and so beautiful. I tried for so long to stay away from you, because I thought that you were too good for someone like me. But I was wrong.” 

“You weren’t too good for me. You were good _for_ me. You were everything I had been waiting for. We came into each other’s lives when we needed each other the most. You taught me how to love wholeheartedly and you brought laughter and happiness into my life when I thought I would never have that again. You saved me, Betty Cooper, in every single way that someone can save a person. I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for you and your strength and love. I never expected, not once in my life, when I got an email that I’d been hired as a 24-hour bodyguard to ever fall in love with you, but I’m so glad I did and I’m so glad it’s you. Wherever you go, I’ll go. Whatever you face, I’ll face it with you. We’re in this together now and I’ll spend the rest of my life loving you.” 

Betty smiles at him through tears. 

“If soulmates are real, and if there is someone out there with the other half of my heart, I have no doubt in my mind that it’s you, Jughead Jones. When that _horrible thing_ happened to me, to us,”

Everyone knows what she’s talking about. Betty’s voice is shaking, her bottom lip is wavering and she’s close to crying, but she smiles as her mind reminds her of the reason she’s talking about this. 

“You were bleeding and I was thinking how badly I wished we could have just a little more time, that I’d wait a million lifetimes for you. I thought that was it for us, but wasn’t and I’m so grateful. You’ve always been there for me when things were dark and sad, and I was scared and alone. I owe you my life, Jughead, and I hope we can spend it together. I love you, from the first moment we kissed, I knew I loved you. I can’t wait to start this new journey with you. Throughout everything we will face, all the ups and downs, I will stand by you. It’s you and me forever, just like it was always meant to be.”

A tear slips down his cheek and Betty falls in love with the sight of him. It’s one of the first times that they’re crying from an overwhelming abundance of love. They’ve had so much bad in their lives since they’ve been together that she welcomes the change with open arms. It’s a new and fresh beginning for them. It’s the start of their lives together and she couldn’t be any more happy. It’s all she’s ever wanted. They’re good people after all, and they’ve suffered enough.

The rest of the ceremony passes quickly and when it’s finally time for them to kiss, Betty smiles at the way she doesn’t have to tiptoe to reach his lips. Bless Cheryl and her taste for _very_ high heels. 

The kiss is soft and sweet, gentle but passionate. It’s familiar and Betty finds comfort in that. She’s kissed Jughead thousands of times, but it never becomes tedious. She could spend the rest of her life kissing him and it would still feel like the first time every single time. 

Clapping erupts throughout the church and only then do they finally pull away from each other. 

“You ready, Mrs. Jones?” 

Mrs. Jones. That’s her. 

She’s isn’t Betty Cooper anymore; the girl with a dark past and more demons than one could ever count. She’s not the broken girl who doesn’t have a place in the world, whose life was destroyed by an anonymous person with enough darkness to wreak havoc on everything she’s ever loved.

She’s Betty Jones; the woman with a bright future. The woman who stood up to her demons and faced them; the woman who defeated them and walked away a little taller. She’s Betty Jones; a woman deserving of love, a love that she had found in the man standing next to her. She had earned her happy ending and she would cherish it for the rest of her life. She went through hell and she made it out stronger than she ever was before, and she had done it all with the man she’s prouder than ever to call her husband. 

“You ready?” Jughead asks her as he grabs her hand and squeezes it, giving her a watery smile. 

“Always.”


End file.
